The world at my feet

My running this summer has not always been what I'd like it to be, so I've targeted Saturdays as a "long" run day. Now a long run is interpretive but if I'm out there for more than hour, then color it long, as far as I'm concerned. Since summer finally made it to Chicagoland this past couple of weeks, running early this morning was a must. I ran up to the Herrick Lake trails and found myself reflecting on what's become of me since I took up this running thing...

Sydney. Hong Kong. Paris. Singapore. Eighteen months ago, I would never envisioned myself running in these cities. Eighteen months ago, I was thirty-five pounds heavier than I am today. Eighteen months ago, after hearing yet another “great run” story from a friend, I decided that at 41 years of age, it was time to change. I was sedentary and on the north side of chunky, working toward "pleasantly plump." It was time to do something - it was time to run. A colleague at work, a marathoner hearing of my quest, put together a very simple training schedule for me. Given that it was winter in Chicago, it was focused on the treadmill. Determined not to fail, I got on the rickety old treadmill at the office gym and started. Those first weeks of building up to running one whole mile were agony. And then something happened – it stopped feeling like agony. It actually started to feel good, and then, as an added bonus, the pounds came off. Within four months, the 35 pounds were gone (changing my drive-thru laden diet helped too). Spring came and I discovered running outside. I’d discovered nirvana.

I got a great pair of Brooks shoes and found that I was happy, smiling all the time as I ran. I’ll never forget running into one of my good friends, an ultra-marathoner, along a trail one day. He said the smile on my face said it all, I’d found that high. I ran my first 5K in June 2008 and I’ve managed to run several since. I’ve also had my world opened up to me. As friends and readers of this diatribe know, I travel frequently around the world for work and running has opened up these places to me. I’ve run through Hong Kong Park and the challenging hills on the Island side of that great city. I’ve run around the Sydney Opera House and been able to take in its unique beauty from the perspective of a runner. I’ve run around the Arc d’Triomphe in Paris in the early morning, enjoying a perspective of it that your typical tourist doesn’t get. The beauty of the Singapore Botanic Gardens come alive when you run through it. And who knew how awesome a run in Central Park could be? Especially when you cap said run with a snack from one of the myriad food carts the City has an offer!

Am I an elite runner? No way, not even close. Am I going to run a marathon? I’m not sure yet. The fact that "yet" is in there suggests I may consider it. But I’m still doing things I never thought I’d do. I crewed a 100-mile race for my ultra-marathon running friend. I ran eight miles of it with him and had the time of my life. My shoes and running gear have become a part of my routine. My subscription to “Runner’s World” is devoured, cover to cover. Am I happier as a runner? You bet. Have I set a better example for my three kids? Absolutely. Has it mellowed me out as a husband and father? I hope so. It's made me healthier. I'll be around a little bit longer for them, I think. I’m glad to be a runner.

So this is what was going through my head this morning. Made for a thoughtful run. Set me up for a good day.